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This recipe was the surprise of this year’s strawberry season. I live not far from a few farms growing strawberries and and am quite spoiled by the quality of the local berries and their long growing season. Truth be told, I mostly just eat them for breakfast mixed with other berries. Of course I have […]
It’s no secret that when it comes to sweets, hazelnut and chocolate is definitely my favorite combination. When I’m at a gelateria it’s hard for me to break away from nocciola and cioccolato and order anything else. Before leaving Italy I always stock up on chocolate bars studded with hazelnuts. Is anyone going over there […]
We’re having a mini heat wave here in southern California and it seemed like the perfect excuse to whip up a batch of ice cream. I can’t remember the last time that I pulled out my ice cream maker-it might have been two summers ago. At any rate it’s been much too long. I saw […]
I am of the sort for which breakfast constitutes a cappuccino and something sweet, preferably a cookie. I’ve been known to have a piece of chocolate with that morning coffee if nothing else is available. I really try to have a tin of homemade cookies on the counter at all times and if J. had […]
Long ago I fell for this cookie from a local cafe and tried to no avail to obtain the recipe through both Bon Appetit and Gourmet. Whenever I was near the cafe I would treat myself to this amazing pecan cookie, but I always held out hope for baking it in my own kitchen. As […]
I can’t seem to get enough of these two flavors. It’s a classic combination (Nutella) and whenever I’m in a gelateria in Italy my first instinct is to order nocciola e cioccolata-hazelnut and chocolate. These cookies have a slightly crisp exterior with a lovely soft center. I couldn’t resist sampling a few, but my real intent […]
In honor of my good friend K. who was about to set off on an adventure to the south Pacific, I had a few women in for lunch. I kept the menu simple-a wild mushroom tart and a salad. Much to the surprise of my guests I also served a dessert-not sure why this was […]
Six years ago when I began my Panini Girl trips to Lucca I met a very talented local woman whose passion is cooking. By day she works for the archdiocese located a few blocks away from our apartment and in her spare time she teaches cooking classes. We are lucky to stay in an amazing […]
How can you go to Italy and not be food focused? I have to admit that I might be a little more obsessed than most with all things food related, but what’s wrong with that? One of the perks of staying in Lucca is that Florence is just a train (or bus) ride away. We […]
There are so many reasons that I love coming to Italy and to Lucca in particular-the charming streets, the friendly faces, the gorgeous churches, the great small shops and of course, the food. There is however another draw for me to return here year after year-the opportunity to spend time with my wonderful friend B. […]
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